Free zone company
Company setup in Ajman Media City Free Zone
Ajman Media City Free Zone (AMC) is a free zone in the city of Ajman built around the media and creative sector. It licenses media, service and trading companies with 100% foreign ownership, and several activities can sit on one licence. It suits freelancers, agencies and small firms that work from a desk. Caliph prepares and submits your application.
At a glance Fact sheet
- Emirate
- Ajman
- Authority
- Ajman Media City Free Zone (AMC)
- Location
- Ajman city, in the northern UAE next to Sharjah
- Known for
- Media, creative and digital businesses, plus small service and trading firms
- Ownership
- 100% foreign ownership
- Office options
- Shared desks and offices, depending on the package the zone offers you
Overview
Ajman Media City Free Zone is the younger of Ajman's two free zones. It was created to bring media, creative and entertainment businesses to the emirate, and it presents itself as a zone that puts the investor first. In practice that means a licence aimed at small companies: content producers, marketing and design studios, online publishers, consultants and traders who do not need a warehouse.
Two features set it apart. You can combine several business activities on a single licence, which helps a studio that also sells equipment or a consultant who also trades online. You can also form the company without a residence visa if the licence is all you need, and ask for visas through the zone's own visa department when you hire or relocate, within what your package allows.
Compared with Dubai's media zones, Ajman Media City is a smaller community outside Dubai. Dubai offers a media district address and neighbours in the same trade. Ajman suits founders whose clients care about the work more than the postcode and who want a simple company with a desk. If your activity involves publishing, broadcasting or advertising, a media approval may apply as well. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you.
What Ajman Media City offers a small company
Built around media work
The zone was set up for the media sector, so content production, advertising and design are the activities it was designed to license.
Several activities on one licence
You can hold more than one business activity on the same licence, which suits founders who earn from a mix of services and sales.
A licence with or without visas
The zone lets you set up without a residence visa. That works for owners who already hold UAE residence or who run the company from abroad.
Full foreign ownership
You own 100% of the company. Nobody else has to hold shares on your behalf.
Visa work handled inside the zone
The zone has its own visa and residence department for establishment cards, entry permits and residence permits. Caliph manages that file for you.
What you need to apply
- Passport copy of each shareholder and of the manager
- A recent photo with a white background
- Your current UAE visa or entry stamp, if you are in the country
- Two or three company name options
- The activities you want on the licence, in order of importance
- Your choice of package: licence only, or licence with visas
- A short description of the work you do, especially for media and publishing activities
- For a corporate shareholder: attested incorporation documents and a resolution to open the company
Some media activities need a separate approval from the media regulator. Your consultant tells you before you apply whether yours is one of them.
How setup in Ajman Media City works
Free consultation
You describe the work, your clients and whether you need a visa. We check that the activity is on the zone's list and that a desk-based licence suits you.
Pick the activities and the package
We select the activities to combine on the licence and the package that matches your visa and desk needs.
Name and application
Caliph submits your name options and the application with your documents through the zone's registration system.
Sign the company documents
You review and sign the incorporation papers. Your consultant tells you which signatures can be done remotely.
Licence issued
The zone issues the licence and the company documents. Any media approval your activity needs is arranged alongside.
Visas, if you chose them
We apply for the establishment card, the entry permit, the medical fitness test, the Emirates ID and the residence permit.
Good to know
- Ajman Media City and Ajman Free Zone are separate zones. If you need a warehouse or industrial space, the port-side Ajman Free Zone is the more usual choice.
- A licence without a visa does not give you UAE residence. Choose a visa package if you need to live here or sponsor your family.
- Like any free zone company, an Ajman Media City company works inside the zone and internationally. Direct sales on the mainland need a different arrangement.
Questions people ask
What is Ajman Media City Free Zone?
It is a free zone in the emirate of Ajman focused on the media and creative sector. It issues licences to media, service and trading companies, allows 100% foreign ownership and lets you place several activities on one licence. It is separate from the older Ajman Free Zone beside the port.
Do I have to run a media business to set up there?
No. Media is the zone's focus, and it also licenses commercial trading and service activities, so consultancies, online sellers and small traders can apply as well. Your consultant checks that your exact activity is on the zone's list before you apply.
Can I get a licence in Ajman Media City without a visa?
Yes. The zone allows a company to be formed without a residence visa, which suits owners who already have UAE residence or who manage the business from another country. If you later need residence for yourself or your staff, you apply through the zone within the limits of your package.
Does a media company need extra approvals?
It can. Activities such as publishing, broadcasting, advertising or filming may need a media approval in addition to the free zone licence. The requirement depends on the exact activity. Caliph checks this at the start and arranges the approval together with the licence.
How is Ajman Media City different from Dubai's media zones?
Both license media companies, in different emirates and under different authorities. A Dubai media zone gives you a Dubai address among larger media firms. Ajman Media City is a smaller zone aimed at freelancers and small companies that work from a desk. Compare the rules and running costs for your activity with your consultant.
Reviewed by Caliph Business Solutions on . Rules differ by activity and by authority. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you.
Ready to establish your company in the UAE?
Book a free consultation. Tell us what you want to open and we come back with the route, the documents and the cost.
- VisitHapag-Lloyd Building, Port Saeed, Deira, Dubai. P.O. Box 8070
Open in Google Maps